Microsoft's legal chief: "We continue to be dogged by an issue we had hoped would be resolved by now: Google continues to prevent Microsoft from offering consumers a fully featured YouTube app for the Windows Phone." Utter nonsense, since MetroTube offers a complete and full YouTube experience on Windows Phone (it's one of the best Windows Phone applications), and YouTube+ on Windows 8. Two fantastically rich applications, built by small ISVs - yet Microsoft can't do the same? Don't make me laugh. Coincidentally, Microsoft is also whining some more about Google's removal of ActiveSync - Redmond again refuses to acknowledge that all it needs to do is implement the open standards CalDAV and CardDAV, just like everyone else has done. Times have changed, Ballmer. You don't get to dictate the industry anymore.

Here is what I predict, and I did call both Vista and Win 8 right on the nose.

Within 3 years all of the OEMs will be selling ChromeBooks and ChromeTops instead of Windows PCs (because they frankly have NO choice, not only is MSFT sticking it to them with OEM pricing but also stabbing them in the back by announcing they are gonna build their own desktops, laptops, and phones to go with the tablets so every dime they give MSFT is a dime to a company that wants them out of business) and Google will own the low end while Apple will keep the high but will see their market shrink as Android devices become more powerful and cheaper. Cook has already seen this trend, hence the iPad Mini, but when you will soon be able to buy multicore Android tablets for 4100 it will be hard to get more than the Apple faithful to buy your next $500+ products.

The only thing that worries me about this is it is increasingly looking like Google is gonna keep ChromeOS locked down and OEM only, looking at the new ChromeBooks you can't even run Linux on them without 3 pages of CLI and a lot of finger crossing, so we may end up replacing one company that wants everyone locked down into black boxes with another and for those of us that like to build our own hardware things look quite bleak indeed.

It is increasingly likely that computers will become the new consoles, locked down and disposed of when the companies no longer support them, just as an old GameCube is worthless for anything but some legacy games. Its a real shame as we are getting all this crazy powerful hardware that will end up going to the dump even when it could be used, simply because you'll have no access to the hardware at all.

Yeah sorry about that, I really need to take the number 4 key off my old clacky and clean it as its hit or miss, especially when I'm typing quickly.

But my point still stands, just as IBM started the PC market by using a little OS later known as "MS-DOS" because they couldn't get CPM so too is the OEMs gonna have no choice but to switch as every dime they give MSFT is money that will be used to try to put them out of business. Just look up the "Windows Blue" memo by Ballmer's team, I'm sure every OEM has read it by now, where it states flat footed that "The future of Windows is MSFT hardware running MSFT software and sold in MSFT stores" thus making it clear they consider the OEMs to be history as far as MSFT is concerned.

They will gouge the OEMs for every penny they can, thus not only taking money from a rival but also making it harder and harder for them to sell a Windows machine and make a profit, so their only choice will be to switch to another OS or close the doors, simple as that. While I'm sure the OEMs hope that Ballmer gets fired and somebody who understands the Windows ecosystem brought in you can't base your business on hopes so I have NO doubt they are all setting up meetings with Google as we speak.

Ironic that the FOSS zealots dreamed for years that MSFT would just dry up and blow away, but who would have thought the death of MSFT would come not from a competitor but from a truly pathetic CEO killing the company trying to raise the stock price.